Chapter 9

Josephine

Josephine was brushing out the last of the wrinkles in her wedding dress. She was pleased with her groom. She had known that Kit Lockwood was one of the wealthier ranchers in Sanctuary. His ranch was about a three-hour ride from town, back the way they’d traveled in today.

She had known that he was smart and had a sense of humor from the six letters they had exchanged. It pleased her to discover he was ruggedly good looking as well. Oh, not as handsome as Hattie’s preacher, but he had a more outdoor handsomeness Pastor Bryce lacked. His blue eyes and sandy brown hair were perfect for his narrow face.

She had seen how his arms and shoulders strained at the fabric of his best dress shirt. Yes, she was more than pleased about being wed to him today. She bit her lip, wondering at the sleeping arrangements on the ranch.

Kit had assured her that the pastor had made each of the three men wedding today to agree to separate beds and no marital privileges until the couples got to know each other and were sure that their marriage was what they wanted. She guessed that was a good idea, but she already knew what she wanted, and it was Kit Lockwood.

Josephine wondered if there was a way to get the pastor to remove his injunction on her marriage before the wedding was over. She was just about to go ask Mrs. Williams about it, when she heard a knock on her door.

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Hattie Long stepped in. “I was checking to see if you needed any help to get ready for your ceremony?”

Josephine watched as Hattie’s eyes took in her wedding gown. “Do you like it, Hattie? It was my mother’s. She insisted I bring it for my wedding.”

Hattie nodded. “It’s beautiful.” She looked down at the blue and white dress she was wearing and smoothed it out.

“Why are you up here helping me? You need to get ready for the wedding and the party.”

Hattie smiled. “I am ready. Let’s just focus on you and the other brides today.”

Josephine stopped and turned to the woman who she already considered a close friend. “What do you mean you’re ready? You can’t wear that dress, Hattie. It’s still covered with dust from the trip here. At least put on your Sunday best dress.”

Quietly Hattie responded, “This is my Sunday dress.”

Josephine stopped and turned to her friend. “Are you telling me you have nothing else to wear?”

“No, I have three everyday work dresses, a lavender gingham, a blue gingham, and a plain brown that Haddie got for me from the Ladies Aid Society and I altered to fit me.”

“Nothing that I could wear for a wedding or dance, except this one.”

“Of course you don’t. What am I thinking? You came with only one small suitcase. The rest of us brought two or three trunks full of clothes. Come with me.”

She walked out into the hallway and knocked on every door. When they had all opened, she spoke. “We have an emergency, ladies. Our precious Hattie has nothing suitable to wear for our weddings or for the party tonight. Each of us has more than we need. So, I need two dresses and all the accessories for Hattie.”

Virginia spoke up. “I have a rose-colored dress that should work for the weddings. Only I’m a little taller than Hattie. It will be too long, but we don’t have time to hem it up.”

Lyla said, “I have an extra petticoat. It will be too short for her, but it would help lift that dress off the ground.”

There came voices of, “I have an extra corset she can have.”

“I have the perfect hat for that dress.” “I have a pair of boots that should fit her.”

Then someone else said, “I have a lavender gown that she can wear to the party. It will really bring out her eyes.”

Josephine smiled and said, “Good, gather them up, girls. And bring them into the room I’m using. Oh, and Lyla, go ask Helen for clean water for one more bath.”

Lyla flew down the stairs. The girls started bringing the things for Hattie into the room and laying them on the bed.

Josephine got herself into her wedding dress and pinned up her hair in a flattering style, then after the water for the bath had been put in the tub, pointed at it. “Get in, Hattie, and use my soap to wash all the grime of our trip off of you. If Pastor Bryce was taken with you before, he’ll be overwhelmed when we’re done with you.”

An hour later Hattie had been pampered, cleaned and was wearing the rose-colored dress. Her hair was done neatly, in the braided twist that she liked at the back of her head.

Nellie had her sit in a chair facing her. She pulled out some make up and Hattie shook her head. “No, I won’t wear makeup.”

Nellie smiled. “Hattie, there are two kinds of makeup: those used by the girls in the brothel which is overdone to hide and conceal, and there is the type that ladies use to highlight their natural charms. That’s what I’ll do for you. Just like I did for myself, Josephine, and Carol.”

Hattie looked at the three brides about to get married. “You all have makeup on? I don’t see it.”

The three nodded.

“That’s the point. Hattie. You use it to draw out your natural beauty, not to be obviously painted like you’re used to.”

“Oh, I don’t know.”

Josephine laid a hand on Hattie’s knee. “Trust us, Hattie. We won’t do anything that will show you as unsuitable. We just want to help you be your best and show this town what we already know. That you are the perfect choice to be our pastor’s wife.”

Hattie chewed on her lower lip, but finally nodded her consent. Nellie got to work as Josephine slipped out and went to speak to the girls that were staying behind, and Helen and Mrs. Williams. The brides and Helen for Hattie’s needs, and Mrs. Williams to get an answer to her own question.

Joshua

The three weddings would start in just a few minutes, but Mrs. Williams had come to see him on behalf of one bride. After she explained what the bride wanted, it forced him to grab a few minutes alone with Kit Lockwood. He stepped into the room that the grooms were waiting in and cleared his throat. “Kit, could I speak with you for a minute?”

Kit looked at him with concern on his face. “Is something wrong, Preacher? Has something happened? It’s Josephine, isn’t it? She’s changed her mind.”

Joshua laughed at how nervous the confident and competent rancher was about his wedding. “No, Kit, nothing like that. I just need to clarify something in private, if you don’t mind.”

“Oh, well, why didn’t you say that to begin with instead of giving me a heart attack?”

“I’m sorry, Kit. This is just something I need to discuss with you before the wedding.”

He looked at the other two grooms. “Calm down fellas, your brides are all going to show up. I just talked to Mrs. Williams and they are putting their last touches on their preparations. You’ll all be married in less than an hour.”

He smiled again, as the other two physically relaxed a little. He opened the door and led Kit down the hall to a room at the back that was used for storage. Once inside, they shut the door. “What’s this about, Joshua?”

“Mrs. Williams came to see me a few minutes ago, on behalf of your bride. Seems that she has some concerns about my request that you wait to partake of your marital rights. She has indicated, through Mrs. Williams, that she doesn’t need, or want, the time to make sure your union is suitable. I want to know how you feel about her concern?”

Kit rubbed his hand across his freshly shaved face, then looked Joshua in the eye. “I understand the reason for your request that we wait to consummate our wedding. I was willing to do so, because I didn’t want to pressure Josie into anything. Personally, I will tell you this. We may not know everything we need to know about each other, but today I’m making a vow before God to her. That vow is till death do us part, as I understand. I won’t be ending anything just because she may have a few traits I don’t like.”

Joshua nodded. “Well then, let me revise my original statement. The two of you should consummate when you are both agreed that the marriage is permanent. But, if you consummate your marriage, then I cannot dissolve it later.”

“I understand and I will tell you, I won’t insist on anything before we are both agreed.”

Joshua smiled. “I honestly don’t think that is going to be a problem for you, based on what Mrs. Williams told me.”

“Good to know.”

Joshua nodded, “I’ll leave it to you to inform your spouse of the change, when you feel the time is right.”

Kit shook his hand and then went back into the office. Joshua went to the sanctuary to see if the brides had arrived yet.

He had asked the first two rows on the left side of the sanctuary be left open for the mail-order brides. Joshua knew that none of them had their families here, but they had traveled together. The camaraderie he’d seen for himself, when he’d asked Hattie to attend the party with him, proved they had become like sisters to each other. He’d only had one tense moment, when Ernestine Lyman had insisted she need to sit in the front left row so that she could help direct the wedding, a job that the pastor’s wife would normally do. “Miss Lyman, Mrs. Williams will direct these weddings. She is already invested with the brides. It’s part of the job she accepted as head of the Ladies’ Aid Society.”

“Well, if you don’t want my help, then fine. I don’t really approve of these mail order weddings, anyway.”

She stuck her nose in the air and stomped back to sit with her parents.

Then, the doors opened and Joshua’s entire world stopped, as Hattie led the other six mail-order brides who weren’t getting married today. He’d only thought her stunning when she had arrived covered in travel dust, but in a rich rose colored dress and her hair done up, she went from stunning to breathtakingly beautiful.